Clinton Hopes of Carrying Popular Vote Drifting Away

Michael Barone, who previously had demonstrated that it was at least possible that Hillary Clinton could capture a majority of the popular vote in Democratic primaries and caucuses (though not a majority of the delegates), now says that polling trends have rendered his earlier analysis obsolete. Those trends show Barack Obama narrowing Sen. Clinton's lead in Pennsylvania and leading her by a commanding margin in North Carolina.

Of course, because candidates are not running a race based on the popular vote, the significance of such a victory would have been pyrrhic in any event.